Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the most beautiful and useful trees in the tropics. It is grown in more than 90 countries, with world production concentrated in Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea together account for about 80% of the total area planted to coconuts worldwide. With the advent of new processing technologies, the commercial production of a great array of commercial commodities can now be derived from coconut oil, which is the dominant product of the coconut. World coconut oil production has been increasing for the past decade because of greater global demand for its important characteristics. Coconut oil contains the most concentrated commodity source of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). Research has shown that MCTs derived from coconut oil possess unique properties with important nutritional and medical applications. Emerging applications of coconut include virgin coconut oil, which is a relatively new value-added product that has become available in the international market. Increasing attention has also been given to the use of coconut oil for biofuels or as biolubricants. The demand for coconut oil is also developing, with emerging use in cosmeceuticals. It was established that lauric acid (C12) from coconut oil has a potent antimicrobial activity and was found to reduce the HIV virus.